Not your usual suspects

From the left, Red Cross emergency services director Ron Goodman, William Perie, Dale Funkhouser, Grace Prochnow, Peter Christensen, Vancouver police chief Clifford Cook, Chuck Prochnow and Dave Turpen photographed this week during a ceremony honoring the local Red Cross Disaster Team, which assisted law enforcement officials during a nearly two-day standoff in a shooting near Mountain View High School in July. Also honored by Chief Cook were Chuck Prochnow, Arnold James, Debbie MacLardy, Dena James, Judy Smith, Duane Royer, and Pat Graham. Each of the 12 received a certificate of appreciation for working to provide law officials with coffee and food and for providing places to rest during the ordeal.

Vancouver going back to the tap

Next time anyone is at a City of Vancouver meeting he or she is not likely to see any staffers with bottled water on the premises.

That’s because the new city policy is to go back to the tap—to drink only city water in reusable containers.

Mayor Royce Pollard has asked that city employees not use bottled water, but use “our own healthy public water system,” reports Michael Piper, the city’s new sustainability coordinator.

Piper says that Vancouver tap water is about as good as it gets and that it is healthier and better tasting than many of the leading brands of bottled water.

For a comprehensive report on bottled water versus tap water, click here.

County residents tossing 10 million
pounds of good stuff a year in garbage

Each year Clark County residents throw away an estimated 10 million pounds of  clothing, linens, toys, utensils, books, furniture and other reusable items, according to Jim Mansfield, Clark County Solid Waste spokesperson. When clean, these reusable items can be taken to a Clark Public Utilities' operations center, 8600 NE 117th Avenue, for distribution to charitable organizations.

This year, the county and City of Vancouver Solid Waste Services are holding a community share fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 15, at the operations center. Residents will also be able to recycle electronic waste and block foam during the fair. Tax deductible receipts will be available. For further information, call Elsie Deatherage, 735-8842.

Street Festival takes over
Uptown Village this weekend

Most of upper Main Street in Vancouver’s Uptown Village will be given over to the 14th annual Uptown Village Street Festival Saturday, Aug. 18, and Sunday, Aug. 19.

In addition to a children’s parade Saturday, entertainment runs the gamut. Classic cars, Harleys, Tears of Joy Theatre, Brian Major’s chalk walk, The Lucky 21 Comedy Competition, The Tall Jazz, comedian Ron Osborne, African All Stars, Molly Malone Dancers, and Kalelianani o ke Kukui Dancers.

There is no admission charge, but attendees may buy wristbands for $1 that will give them discounts from some merchants. For further information, call Deanna Ramage, 694-7721.

Final vintage baseball game on
parade grounds Saturday

The final 1860s vintage baseball game for the 2007 season is at 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 18, on the Vancouver Barracks parade ground, reports Greg Shine chief ranger and historian for the National Park Service's Fort Vancouver National Monument.

Living history re-enactors wear reproduction costumes and play a match game of baseball following the rules from the 1860s. They portray two local teams, the Occidental Base Ball Club of Vancouver and the Sherman Base Ball Club of Fort Vancouver, which played match games of baseball in the area beginning in 1867.

To help visitors understand the rules as well as the action on the field, the umpire and several players wear hidden wireless microphones that help capture the spirit of the game.

There is no charge.

Calendar

The Vancouver Lake Watershed Partnership meets at 4 p.m. today in the Fruit Valley Community Center, 3200 Fruit Valley Road. A presentation will be made by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. <> Clark County Communicators meeting at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 16, in the Old Spaghetti Factory, 730 NE 160th Avenue, will discuss pro bono work. <> The 2007 Riverview Community Bank Six-to-Sunset concert series concludes with a performance in Esther Short Park by Stephanie Schneiderman’s jazzy country music acoustical work at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 16. There is no charge. Food and non-alcoholic beverage vendors are in attendance.

Headlines Wednesday, Aug. 15

Alice Hiromura creates 1001 cranes for Sadako--Senior Messenger, Jane Elder Wulff

Vancouver mulls going back to the future with streetcar service--Columbian, Jeffrey Mize

Portland city commissioner Sam Adams touts plan for eastside streetcar--Oregonian, James Mayer

Settlement in cleanup of Port of Vancouver plywood site reached--Columbian

Vancouver post office gets federal recognition for excellence--Columbian, Tom Vogt

Killian eyes Columbia Business Center site--Columbian, Julia Anderson

Early primary helpful to auditor's office--Columbian, Tom Koenninger

Voters grappling with port tax--Oregonian, Allan Brettman

Death toll in Iraq bombings rises to 250--New York Times, Damien Cave

Experiments suggest that shuttle unlikely to be in danger--New York Times, Kenneth Chang

Dow drops to 12,861.47 at close--Market Watch

Iraq Coalition Casualties